I believe Weight Watchers says my ideal weight is between 153 and 168 or something. Hang on
(checks)
132 minimum to 158 maximum. Sure, if I want to cut off my left leg or something. I’m aiming for 162 at the moment.
256/186/pregnancy/240/173.5/162
Legs are pretty heavy. If what you’re aiming for is only four pounds above their maximum, you could probably achieve it by just cutting off the left leg below the knee, not the whole thing. Just sayin’. 
Now, now…let’s not go cutting off body parts unless we really have to. You might need that leg someday.
After my weekend in Key Largo and the associated drinking and eating I was up on Monday but now I’m back down to 170.5 so I’m happy about that. I’ve kind of developed a weekday routine that works. Oatmeal for breakfast. Salad and fruit for lunch and then a reasonable dinner.
Got in 10500 steps on my morning walk.
You’re not alone Norinew I got chuckle too about Pjen getting back to pre-baby weight. 
You’re doing great Pjen but I wonder if the 5 lb a week weight loss is sustainable over the long term. That’s quite a bit more per week than is considered “healthy”. Though if you feel good and aren’t hungry maybe that’s just what works for you. You’re doing great.
I know what you mean about not exercising until you lose a bit more. I would love to jog but I’m a bit too heavy now and if I jog part of my morning walk I hurt later in all my joints, knees, hips, lower back, feet. It’s hell getting old I tell you.
Hey Equipoise check out this site I’ve heard very good things about this site and the Diabetes Solution book from other low-carbers. You might find it helpful and interesting.
Yes, I know the books say that this is an unhealthy speed to lose weight, but I set myself a goal of one kg (2.2lb) a week and just started eating limited but sensible food and I have dropped between 2 and 5 kg every week save the two I was traveling with the kids. I feel OK and am not hungry and can see no signs of vitamin deficiency (I am eating mostly fresh fruit and vegetables apart from oatmeal and cottage cheese). If I stay at or above 1kg a week on average I shall be more than happy. At the current rate I should hit my first real target 90kg/200lb by July (although I have a week in a hotel in Canada the week after next- see how that goes, although the previous week I spent in a hotel, I still lost 4lb!). If I then continue at 1kg a week, then I should be at my real target well before we go to Florida in October. I have pictures of me on the Keys looking like a beached whale from Feb 2005 so it will be interesting to compare the pictures!
Good luck to you all.
It would be quick weight loss, to be sure. But not great as a long term solution, as exercise would be difficult. Unless one chooses to hop through life, natch.
Pjen, malnutrition is one danger of rapid weight loss, but losing bone and muscle mass is another. Are you doing some lifting?
Wait, you have children. Nevermind. 
236.6 this week. Down 0.7 from last. Not as good as I’d like, but better than I’d expected, what with the pulled pork sandwich, half of a BBQed chicken, half of a crispy duck, cheese sandwiches, hot dog, chips, and chocolate cake.
My, that looks like a lot of unhealthy food all typed out like that. I promise to do better in the coming week, despite the social engagements I have coming up.
Pjen where in Florida are you visiting in October? Are you going back to the keys? I’m in Central Florida just a bit (25 miles) north of Disney World. I just spent a couple of days in Key Largo and it was beautiful. Just right, not too hot yet, cool breeze coming in off the water. It is relaxing, all that sunshine and tropical wind (not to mention fruity rum drinks). Hope you have a blast.
With respect to losing muscle instead of fat (and isn’t fat loss, not just a lower scale number what we ultimately want?) I’m realizing that even though I weigh 170.5 today I’m actually bigger than I previously was at this weight. How do I know that? I have two pairs of dress slacks that I purchased about 5 years ago. At the time I weighed about 172-173 and had been at that weight for a while. I hadn’t purchased any clothing in a while because I was determined to wait until I’d lost some weight. Eventually I caved in and bought the two pairs of slacks because I needed something to wear to work.
When my weight crept up into the 180s I had to put them away as they became uncomfortably tight.
Now, at 170, I’ve tried them and they still feel more tight than I’d like around the waist. My only conclusion is that I am actually bigger in size now at 170 lbs than I was 5 years ago at 173. I think the difference is that back then I was a member of a gym and working out several days a week building muscle. Now I walk but I’m not muscle building so, while the number on the scale is moving, my actual fat mass is slightly more than it used to be due to muscle loss.
I may have to invest in some muscle building equipment. Maybe some small hand weights or resistance bands.
Pjen: Where will you be in Canada? I’m Canadian and miss it a lot. Maybe if it’s one of the places I’m familiar with, I can send to good spots.
My body can officially fuck right off.
UPDATE:
I am a 43 year old, 6’-3" man, who weighs:
July 1st: ~310#
Aug 1st: 297# (-13)
Sep 1st: 287# (-10)
Oct 1st: 281# (-6)
Nov 1st: 269# (-12)
Dec 1st: 263.5# (-5.5)
Jan 1st: 260.0# (-3.5)
Feb 1st: 253.2# (-6.8)
Mar 1st: 248.8# (-4.4)
Apr 1st: 247.8# (-1.0)
May 1st: 244.4# (-3.4)
Still eating moderately, but only exercising once a week. Many other activities interfering with my workouts…some good (coaching kids baseball), some bad (going out to a restaurant with yummy food). Still managed a loss for 10 straight months now.
~310/244.4/~200-210
This also highlights one of the major problems with yo-yo dieting; let’s say you weight 185, and you lose 15lbs. Even if you’re working out, eating enough protein, doing everything right, some of that is going to be muscle. Let’s say that you lose 13lbs. of fat and 2lbs. of muscle. When you put that weight back on, what you re-gain is all fat, no muscle. (And if you’re like most of us, you don’t just re-gain that 15lbs., a few more come with it). Therefore, every time you re-gain, it gets harder to lose! And you get bigger than you were the last time you were at that weight!
Not to mention that, as you get older, everything seems to want to migrate South! :smack:
Figured I’d fling my story out there FWIW.
Started Weight Watchers last year at 209lbs (36 year old male, 5’ 10"). No particular health problems, I was eating fairly sensibly and staying active. High cholesterol level runs in the family, mine has been high for 20+ years (not “dangerous” but “caution”).
I hate bookkeeping so I stuck with the WW “Core” program. Discussed with my doctor and set a goal weight of 180lbs.
Eating was pretty simple to modify (cut way down on simple carbs such as bread, baked goods, white rice and plain pasta, substitute whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat couscous and pasta, increase the fruit/veggie intake, cut down on sugar and fruit juice). Started increasing exercise by going for a walk every day at work and added home workouts (pushups, situps, etc).
Took me just about 6 months even to hit my goal weight, that was in late October 2006. I’ve stayed 176-178lbs since then. That’s about 5 lbs per month, so well within the normally recommended 1-2lbs/week weight loss rate.
Benefits:
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Had complete blood work done late last year to recheck my cholesterol levels, they have dropped to a safe, normal level. This feels like one of the biggest accomplishments to me.
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Walks turned into runs, I was up to 10 miles on rolling hills at a steady 10-min mile pace. Strained my hip at work moving some heavy equipment so no running while I rehab it, but I still go for my 3 mile walk every day at lunch.
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Started riding my bike again, usually do a 40 min ride after work and 1-2 long rides (15 miles) on the weekend.
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Workouts levelled off for a bit and then kicked up; can now do things like 100 pushups nonstop, chinups, one-handed pushups and sets of 100+ crunches, all stuff that I couldn’t do by a long shot before.
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Had to buy all new clothes, pretty much everything but socks and shorts…pants have gone from a Levis 550 “relaxed fit” in 36" waist to 505 34" waist. Chopped hunks off belt and had to add new holes. Down from men’s Large to Medium in most things.
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Have on occasion noticed getting second glances from cute girls. For a balding guy approaching middle-age that’s a nice feeling
At this point I’m comfortably in “maintenance mode” - don’t need to lose more weight, just sticking with what I’ve been doing. It feels great and it’s nice seeing my friends starting to do similar things. A cancer survivor at my WW meeting called me inspirational which was very sweet. I guess the point of my post is to encourage people to find a healthy path and stick with it, be very determined and remember that it’s a long-term thing - you don’t go “on a diet” to lose X lbs and then expect to go “off the diet” and have the weight stay off, it’s a permanent lifestyle change of better eating and increased activity, and keeping in mind that you don’t have to lose a ton of weight in a month, slow and steady works great. 1lb a week is over 50lbs a year, which is incredible when you stop and think about it.
I want to join the club. 
Back in 1998 after my divorce I was 135 pounds then I quit smoking and gained 25 lbs. I started going to the gym 5 days a week for 3 hours a day and got down to 145-150. More than the initial weight but I looked better because I had gained muscle. Then in 2004 I just stopped going to the gym, started going out drinking with friends alot and ballooned up to 198.
I went on the South Beach diet last spring and started doing a lot of walking and long distance bike rides and got down to 174. Then in September, I quit smoking (again as I had reaquainted myself with the habit in 2004) I started gaining again. Back up to 194. In January I was in a car wreck and had to go to physical therapy. My BP was 145/95 and the doc was worried, I told him I would get it down on my own without the use of meds. So I started walking again. Every day before work I walk 2-4 miles. Three days ago I started running in the mornings. The first day was tough. I wheezed and gasped the whole time. Today I went three times as far as Tuesday and no wheezing! I love it! I’ve also got my BP down to 120/70. I can’t wait to see my doc in June to show him I did it.
I’m not sure exactly how much I weigh today but I know it’s less than 198. I’ve been reluctant to get on the scale. I can feel I’ve lost some and my partner has told me that she can see it. I am going to guess that I’m down to about 188 based on how my clothes feel but I try not to rely on weight as much as how I look and feel. If I have to pinpoint a number I guess I’d like to be around 150-155 again. I like running and I figure if I can stick with it and other activities I should get to where I want to be. I’ve never seen a fat runner.
The one thing I’m worried about is muscle toning since I don’t have a weight set and can’t afford a gym membership right now. I have one resistance band, an exercise ball and two sets of dumbells, one is 2# and the other is 10#. I guess I should learn to get creative.
Chao
194/ approx 188/155
Valgard, that’s a great story! Thanks for sharing! As far as being “balding”, I’ll share with you what my Daddy used to say about his hair: “A man only has so much testosterone in his body. If some men want to waste theirs growing hair, that’s their problem” 
My Daddy was a very wise man!
Welcome, Chao! If you lose enough weight, you’re not going to want to change your user name to something less bovine, are you? Yours is one of my very favorites on the boards!
Can I join you guys? I’ve been making vague attempts to lose weight, but starting yesterday, I’m getting serious. I can’t stand it anymore. I figure if I post to something like this, it will hold me more accountable.
My story: I’m 5’3", small-boned and never weighed over 120 until I got married. I went up to about 135, then started having kids. Almost four years later, I’m up to 184. My goal is to get back to 120 by Christmas. My main dietary strategy is to cut out refined sugar, which is my huuuuuge downfall. I’m also going to limit my calories to about 1000-1200/day. We live in an apartment and have a free gym right across the parking lot from us, so I’m going to start going there three times/week. I’m also going to take the kids out in their wagon at* least * three times/week (they love this and my hardest obstacle to exercise is that they’re with me 24/7).
Soooo, here goes! One day down, about a billion to go! Wish me luck!
184/120
It’s not just that cancer survivor that you’ve inspired.
Thanks Norinew! I’m blushing. I won’t be changing my username. I’ve grown quite attached to it. I’m going to have to share your Dad’s wise words with my Da, who is always grumbling about the four hairs he has left.
Oh hell no! We’re a pretty exclusive club!
That’s awesome that you have free access to a nearby gym. Where will you put the kiddies when you go?
Damn straight!
When I get myself to a more attractive weight, I’m going to have to think of a new way to style what’s left of my hair. Something sleeker, hipper, and a little more dangerous, I think.
Why wait tdn? Your attitude is quite attractive, get yourself a cute haircut to match.
I’ve been fairly reckless about my eating comforting myself with the thought that all of this walking I’m doing is going to make all the difference. I’m realizing that it must be a combination of the two so I will endeavor to change my errant ways.
I know exactly what you mean about yo-yo dieting norinew it practically defines my life since about age 11. Really, given my history, it’s a wonder that I don’t weigh more.
Good luck C3! One of the hardest things to remember as a parent, especially with small children, is that you need to put yourself first so that you can really be there for them. I like this analogy: remember when they do the safety drill in the airplane before take off? They always tell adults to put their own oxygen mask on first before helping their children. Makes sense, doesn’t it? You have to be safe before you can keep them safe. The same idea follows for just about every single aspect of your life…you must take care of yourself physically, mentally, spiritually etc. before you take care of your children. That way, you’ll have the absolute most to offer them as a parent. (ok, I’m getting off the soapbox now, you get what I mean)
Thanks for sharing Valgard. Your story is quite inspirational.